CPC proposes removing presidential term limits; Xi may stay beyond 2023

The ruling Communist Party of China Central Committee on Sunday proposed to remove a limit of two consecutive terms for the president and the vice president, paving the way for President Xi Jinping to stay on beyond 2023. The Central Committee proposed removing the clause that the President and Vice-President "shall serve no more than two consecutive terms" from the country's Constitution, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today. President Xi, who is also head of the CPC and military, began his second five-year tenure last year, following a national Congress of the CPC. Xi, 64, was elected as the head of the Party and President in 2013 and later took over as head of the military. In 2016, the CPC officially gave him the title of "core" leader. The removal of the term limit, which was expected to be endorsed by the Plenum of the party to be held tomorrow was expected to give Xi, regarded as the most powerful leader in modern China, a limitless tenure.